Ignition distributor and coil unit



Dec. 8, 1953 M. G. BALES 2,662,105

' IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR AND COIL UNIT 7 Filed Aug. 17, 1950 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I /NVEN7'0E /30 45 7 MAX 6. 341.55

w M V244- A r TOENE Y5 Dec. 8, 1953 Filed Aug. 17, 1950 M. G. BALES IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR AND COIL UNIT J c w g\ a l l 65 1054 I I06 0 I04 0 89 p 1% O I 79x7.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fi'ql Arron/vs Ys Dec. 8, 1953, M. G. BALES ,1

IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR AND COIL UNIT 7 Filed Aug. 17, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet s myza my /NVEN TOE MAX 6. BALEs a ATTae/vE rs Patented Dec. 8, 1953 IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR AND COIL UNIT Max G. Bales, Anderson, Ind., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corpora.-

tion of Delaware Application August 17, 1950, Serial N 0. 179,970

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to ignition apparatus and internal combustion engines'and its object is to provide a unitary structure comprising an ignition timer, an ignition distributor and an ignition coil all in a housing which provides for the exclusion of dirt and m isture which provides for connection with an air-circulating system in which there includes in addition to the timer distributor and coil devices for suppressing disturbances to radio apparatus mounted on the vehicle.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an ignition unit embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view looking in the direction of arrow 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in the direction-of arrow 3 of Fig.7. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged scale fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 4.

'Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale and is taken'on line 6--8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional View on line l-'! of Fig. 1

Fig. 8 is a view on line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the timer housing and the plan view of the igni ticn timer and the ignition coil.

Figs. 9 and 10 are sectional views on line 9--9 and Ill-l0 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is awiring diagram.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of condenser A shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a circuit breaker plate and the circuit breaker supported thereby.

Fig. 14 is a view in the direction of arrow 14 of Fig. 13. Y

Fig. 15 is an enlargement of a sectional view on line l5l5ofFig.7.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of the distributor rotor on a larger scale than Fig. 7.

Fig. 17 is a View in the direction of arrow ll of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a sectional view on line l8-l8 of Fig. 1 6.

Fig. 19 is a view of a rotor retainer member and a is taken in the direction of arrow H! of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a bottom view of the rotor looking in the direction of arrow '28 of Fig. 18. V

The structure includes atimer housing and a cover 3'! which are secured 'by screws 32 (Fig. 2)

2 with a sealing gasket 33 between them. The housing 30 provides a bearing 35 for a shaft 36 connectible with an engine driven member by a coupling, one portion being member 3'! attached to shaft 36.

Shaft 36 drives a plate 38 carrying studs 39 and supporting weights =49 pivoted on the stud and having arms H for engaging cam surfaces 42 of a plate 43 attached to a tubular shaft M which provides the ignition timer cam 45 (Fig. 7 and Fig. 8). Springs 46 connected with studs 39 and studs 5 carried by plate 43 oppose movement of weights away from shaft 44 as the speed of shaft 37 increases. As these weights move out shaft 414 is moved clockwise relative to shaft 36 whose direction of movement is clockwise. Therefore, the timing of the ignition is advanced within increase of speed.

Cam has lobes which engage with a rubbing block 50 attached to a lever 51 pivotally mounted on a stud 52 which is attached to its circuit breaker supporting plate 53, having cars 54 which receive screws 55 (Fig. 8) by which the plate 53 is attached to the housing. A leaf spring 69 is connected at one end with the lever 5i and at the other with a non-conducting junction block at by means of a screw 62 which receives a nut 63. The tightening of the nut 63 on the screw 62 causes the leaf spring 69 to be clamped between terminal clips 64 and 66 of wires 85 and 5? respectively. Wire is connected with one coil of a condenser C, the other foil of which connects to ground through connection with the case 68 of the condenser which by a clip 69 and a screw H1 is fastened to the plate 53 (Fig. 8). The function of spring to is to urge the contacts 58 toward contact 57 and to maintain the rubbing block 58 in engagement with the cam 45 when the latter is functioning to open and close the contacts. A plate '56 can be adjusted around the stud 52 in order to change the distance between the rubbing block and the axis of cam 45 in order to change.

the amount of contact separation so that as the rubbing block 56 wears the contacts can be caused Y to separate to'a predetermined extent. This adjustment is effected by rotation of a screw driver slotted disc 1] receivedby a slot 12 in plate 55 ing of a screw 14 passing through an armature slot in plate 55 and threaded into the plate 53. Referring to Figs. 16 to 20 a distributor rotor which is of the type shown in the copending application of Brooks H. Short et aL, Ser. No. 81,432, filed March 15, 1949, now Patent No.

2,593,205, issued April 15, 1952, comprising a block 81 supporting a distributing segment 82, a suppressor resistance is and a spring so having a flat portion 85 received between ribs 85 of the block 8! and making electrical connection with the resistance 83 which is electrically connected with the segment 82. The spring 84 has a flexible arm 8! providing a contact button 88. The rotor 89 (Fig. 7) is received by an extension 39 of the tubular shaft i l which is provided with a fiat 38 (Fig. 8) which engages a flat defining a wall of the socket 82 which receives the extension 89. The rotor block 3! which is made of molded plastic carries an insert 2 to which a resilient metal clip 93 is attached, said clip having resilient arms at which press against the flat 99 of shaft 44 thus frictionally retaining the rotor 80 upon said shaft.

The cover 3% supports a distributor cap H35 attached thereto by screws one of which is screw lill (Fig. '7). These screws are received by tapped holes is: in cover ti. Cap I38 of molded plastic includes an inverted cup-shaped portion 153 which receives the rotor and which supports a plurality of metal posts in a circular row and cooperating with the distributor segment 82 of the rotor to receive sparking impulses which jump the gap between the segment and the post at the proper time in the firing sequence. As shown in Fig. 4 each post its receives a spring IE5 bearing against a rod its integral with a disc 1077 about which the material of the cap Hill is molded. The disc till is at the bottom of a socket [EB adapted to receive a plug connector on the end of a spark plug cable, said cable being housed in a flexible armor, not shown, said armor being connected by coupling nuts with a threaded sleeve W9 attached to the cover 35. The sleeve tee has a flange 1 ill received by a recess i ii provided by the covering 3i, said recess receiving a resilient washer 2 l2 of rubberno material, a dished seal spring washer H2, and plain washer M 5. The sleeve Hill has a tubular shank i is received within a hole in the cover 3i and concentric with the recess Hi. The shank H55 in Fig. 5 has diametrically opposite notches which receive diametrically opposite tangs MB of the cover 3! thereby preventing rotation of the sleeve I39 relative to the cover 3;. The shank H5 is deformed at iii to secure the sleeve its to the cover 3 i, said deformation of the shank I I5 causing the flange lid of sleeve ass to be drawn into the recess Hi, whereby the resilient washer H2 is compressed and is caused to fit snugly against the cover 3! and. the shank 5 it to seal the joint.

Cap let supports a center cont. ct I26 which engages the button 88 of rotor as and causes, when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. '7, the resilient arm St to be bent down or to the right in Fig. 17 to locate the button 83 at the axis of the rotor. The contact i253 is connected by a strip i2i embedded in the cap ids whichis connected with an insert stud 22 to which a coil spring 523 is attached. Coil spring 223 is located in a recess me which receives the socket port 525 of the top or cover member 526 of an ignition coil Hit which is constructed substantially as shown in the patent to Herman L. Hartzell No. 2,512,796 issued June 2?, 1950. The case it! of the coil 38 extends through a bore 532 provided by housing 38 and it is connected with the top 26 by a metal band ass which is received by a socket or recess I3 1 provided by housing 3i! and rests upon a sealing gasket E35 against which it is urged by a plate 535 (Fig. 8) attached to housing 39 by screws 13?.

As disclosed in Patent No. 2,512,796, coil its has a primary winding ME) (Fig. 11) connected with terminals It] and M2 and a secondary winding M3 the inner end of which is grounded through connection with terminal M2 and the outer end of which is connected with the coil center Hi l which as shown in Fig. 6 is connected by resilient member M5 with a screw M5 threaded through an insert [4? and serving to clamp a rubber like sealing washer M8 and a steel fiat washer Hi9 against the bottom of the socket [25. Spring 5 23 is confined against the head of the screw 1st. In this way, the secondary winding {:33 is connected with the strip l2! which in turn is connected with the center contact iZil and the rotor button 83 as shown diagrammatically in il. Coil terminal MI is connected with wire 51 which is connected with the circuit breaker lever 51. Coil terminal M2 is connected by wire lit with one foil of a condenser B contained in a metal case 15! (Fig. 9) and having its other coil connected to ground through the case i5! which is received in a socket or pocket I52 provided by housing to and which is secured therein by a clip I53 which one of the screws !55 secures to the housing.

Terminal I 42 is connected by a wire lot! with one end of a resistance D which is in the form of a helical coil helically wound around a non-conducting support ifil and surrounded by glass cloth insulation [62, said unit being received in a socket or pocket E 53 provided by the housing 35!, said pocket being surrounded in part by a wall its having heat dissipating fins (Fig. 2). The resistance unit D is retained by a clip Hi6 secured to housing so by screws Hi7, the other end of the resistance is attached to a head of a screw its receiving a nut E69 which clamps terminal clip is attached to a wire ill.

As shown in Fig. 12 wire ill is connected with the center core H2 of a condenser A having a foil winding H3 electrically connected with core I12 by a washer H4 and having a foil winding H5 the margin of which engages a metal washer H6 engaging a spring washer I71 engaging the condenser case I18. One flange I79 of the case is shaped by spinning to retain a non-conducting disc I80 against the metal washer FM. Case I18 has a flange l8l which is formed against a non conducting disc I82 thereby forcing it against a disc E83 and the end of a non-conducting tube I34 upon which the coil foils are wrapped. The case I13 to which foil H5 is electrically connected fits within a socket or tubular extension (Fig. 8) of the housing til. A conducting rod or plug I86 attached to the core H2 extends through a rubber grommet I81 attached to a coupling I88 attached by screws 89 to the exten sion I85. The coupling is threaded to receive the nut for connecting with the coupling afiexible metal armor enclosing a cable, the end oi'which is attached to a socket which receives the plug 86 for making an electrical connection to an ignition switch- 196 (Fig.- 11) connected with the current source such as to the battery l9l.

From Fig. hit is apparent that the condensers A and B and the resistance D provide a pi filter for suppressing disturbances which would otherwise interfere with operation of neighboring radio apparatus. Since the-screw 568 (Fig. 10) is made of magnetizable material coil D operates as a choke coil.

The ignition unit comprises two sub-assemblies, one being the subassembly of housing 39, coil 13G, the ignition timer and the distributor rotor and the driving mechanism therefor together with condensers A, B and C and the resistance unit or choke coil D. All of the wiring connections between the circuit breaker, the coil, the condenser, the resistance unit and the primary terminal provided by the plug I86 (Fig. 8). The other subassembly comprises the cover 31 and the distributor cap I00. The assembling of the cover I3I with the housing 30 establishes the connections between the high tension terminal of the coil and the central button 88 of the distributor rotor.

The assembling of the various parts of the first subassembly is very simple since the housing 30 provides sockets or wells into which various parts are moved, for instance, the housing 30, provides a well or timer cup into which the assembly of shaft 36 and parts supported thereby with the exception of the rotor 80 is passed. The breaker plate 53 with the circuit breaker and condenser C supported thereby is placed in the distributor cup. The rotor 80 is placed upon the end of shaft 44. The coil I30'is pressed into the well provided by the bore I32 of housing 30. The condenser B is placed in the well I52 provided by the housing 30 (Fig. 9). The resistance unit D is placed in the well I63 provided by housing 38. Before the coupling I88 is attached to the extension I85 (Fig. 8) theassembly of condenser A together with wire III is passed into the extension I85 and condenser A is retained by the coupling I88 which serves as one of the elements to attach an armored cable to the ignition unit. The replacement of any of the parts of the first subassembly is very easy since all that 3 is required is to loosen screws and disconnect wires.

The housing 30 is provided with two tapped holes one of which is shown at 200 in Fig. 2. Threaded pipes can be screwed into these holes for making connection with an air-circulating system used for ventilating the unit,

The unit provides for the exclusion of dirt, foreign matter and moisture from the interior thereof, since all of the openings are sealed.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

A device for use with an ignition system for an internal combustion engine comprising; a housing adapted to be attached to an internal combustion engine, said housing providing five sockets for positioning all of the elements of an ignition system and an enclosure for electrical connections therebetween, said sockets including, four spaced parallel sockets each having its axis perpendicular to a common plane, said parallel sockets being constructed and arranged for positioning; a distributor mechanism having a rotor with a terminal thereon, a coil having a terminal thereon, a condenser and an ignition resistance, and a fifth socket having its axis parallel to said common plane and adapted for positioning a second condenser therein, a ventilating conduit connection to said housing, and a cover for said housing, said cover including; insulating means associated therewith, said insulating means including an electrical conductor embedded therein for providing an electrical connection between the terminals of the coil and distributor rotor which connection is established when this cover is in place upon said housing, and providing sockets for spark plug cables and associated posts for the distributor with which the rotor cooperates, and fastening and sealing means for attaching said cover to the socket portion of said housing whereby all of the elements and electrical connections thereto are sealed from moisture and dirt.

MAX G. BALES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,683,376 Williams et al. Sept. 4, 1928 1,721,720 Thomas July 23, 1929 1,761,535 Perkins June 3, 1930 1,976,178 Mallory Oct. 9, 1934 2,161,605 Yolles June 6, 1939 2,163,843 Lansing et a1. June 27, 1939 2,178,687 Hartzell et a1. Nov. 7, 1939 2,234,688 Burchhalter Mar. 11, 1941 2,257,844 Fitzsimmons et a1. Oct. 7, 1941 2,286,233 Scott June 1-6, 1942 2,343,455 Hartzell Mar. 7, 1944 

